


If Crushes Could Expire

by slotumn



Series: New Style Romance [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chatlogs, Chatting & Messaging, Claude von Riegan is a Little Shit, Coming of Age, Crushes, Dating, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Loneliness, Prom, Rating May Change, Romance, Slice of Life, Teen Crush, Texting, no beta we die like Glenn, the golden deer have a group chat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22802005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slotumn/pseuds/slotumn
Summary: If crushes could expire, she wanted it to happen before graduation.A.K.A. In which Lysithea develops a stupid crush on the guy who keeps teasing her, Claude acts cooler and smoother than he really is, and they have to tackle things like medical bills and family feuds on the side, because nobody said living in the modern age was easy.
Relationships: Lysithea von Ordelia/Claude von Riegan, lorenz/leonie (background)
Series: New Style Romance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639222
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	1. High school, Lysithea

_Freshman year, high school_

She took a lot of advanced courses, so naturally her classmates tended to be older than her.

And she knew she was a bit short and babyfaced compared to them, but nobody dared to bully or look down on her for it, because she was undeniably smart and always got the best scores. 

Except for one person.

"If you need help reaching the top shelf, you can just ask, you kno--"

"Claude! Be quiet and get back to working on the PowerPoint!"

"Yes, ma'am~"

Even when he did as she told him to, somehow it felt like she lost. 

Not that everything had to be a competition.

But she still didn't want to give an inch to him, because he always took a mile. 

\---

The thing is, he was smarter than he let on. And not just academically. 

He hung out with everyone regardless of interests, grades, or socioeconomic status, and had a reputation for being the "chill dude," but everything about that seemed too calculated, and it annoyed her, for some reason.

She, on the other hand, didn't have much of a social life. Partially because she was busy studying, partially because she was always going in and out of the hospital.

She didn't need to get caught up in stupid high school drama anyway, because she had better things to do, she told herself. 

But sometimes, it got lonely.

\---

Claude was naturally in a variety of extracurricular activities, but the one he most often advertised was the Golden Deer Quiz Bowl Club, which he was the president of. 

"Quiz bowl club...? What do you even do in there?"

"Well, the official description is that we "test our knowledge in a wide range of academic subjects and attend tournaments," but really we just chill in the club room every Tuesday after school."

"You're not supposed to admit that part out loud."

"Ms. Eisner brings sweet tea and snacks to every meeting. The cake is really delicious, but it's only reserved for the club members."

"...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a club activity to put in my college application."

He grinned, as if to say, I knew that would work. 

Whatever. Cake was worth it.

\---

The club surprised her in more ways than one.

It was fun, and despite how...quirky her clubmates were, they grew on her, even as she acted rather snippy at times.

The weekends where they went to tournaments and ate at a restaurant afterwards to celebrate, regardless of if they did well or not, were the best. 

Claude seemed to actually trust the peple in the club, too. He was less calculating around them, and seeing that, she decided to re-evaluate him, just a little bit. 

\---

Lysithea considered herself separate from the realm of so-called teenage girl things, like dressing up or wondering who would ask her to school dances. 

But somehow the Golden Deer managed to rope her into going to prom.

"I thought only juniors and seniors could get tickets?"

"We can also invite one other person. Can't let our little mascot be left out when everyone else is going, right~?"

"Mascot? That's what you see me as?!"

"Ow, ow, sorry, don't hit me with the planner!"

\---

When she showed up with the other girls, he teased her as usual, saying her look was "baby's first make-up and formal dress." 

She was annoyed as usual, but that managed to stay a minor complaint because she had a lot of fun that night.

Maybe these things were more about the people you enjoy it with rather than the events itself, she thought. 

\---

Everything was alright until graduation (where Hilda, Lorenz, and Leonie all cried, in that order), but when summer break began, she had to check into the hospital again after a particularly bad seizure.

She doesn't remember telling this to any of her classmates (she was too sick), yet they must have gotten the news one way or another, because the Golden Deer gave a surprise visit to the hospital. 

A part of her was glad, but another part couldn't stand looking at the pity and worry in their faces. 

She knew it was born out of good intentions, but it still hurt her sense of pride.

Being seen as weak, pathetic, helpless, pitiful, childish, at the mercy of others who had to take care of her-- being a burden and a concern-- she hated it.

Claude, especially, didn't tease her at all during the entire visit, and that felt worse than when he did for reasons she couldn't explain. 

\---  
\---

_Sophomore year, high school_

"You okay, Lysithea?"

"I'm fine, just...headache."

She had finally been discharged from the hospital not too long ago, but just her luck that the symptoms flared up on her first week back to school. Not severe enough to go back into the hospital, but enough to force her to the infirmary in the middle of class. 

"That looks like more than just a headache, you're pale as death!"

"I told you...I'm...fine...what...are you doing...?!"

She wanted to say that she could walk to Ms. Cassagranda's office by herself just fine, but it was one of those days where even speaking was tiresome, so he ended up carrying her there. 

She did muster a small, "Thank you" at the end, because it would come across as ungrateful and childish if she didn't.

He smiled and responded with, "Rest up and get well, kiddo. I was worried when you didn't come to school for a month after the year started."

The last thought she had before passing out on one of the beds was, Claude smells nice. 

\---

She began going to the Golden Deer club meetings again, but something was...different. 

He still teased her and she still snapped back, but whenever he came too close, it was like her brain spent all its memory on processing his presence (especially scent) and short-circuited. 

Seeing him act friendly with so many people began annoying her, too, not because of anything about Claude specifically, per se, but because that type of nonchalance-coated, yet calculating (and arguably insincere) approach would be irritating to see no matter who did it.

Not that his social life or sincerety was any of her business, as long as that unserious strategic flirting didn't involve her. 

Which it didn't. 

It never did, and that was most definitely a relief.

Right?

\---

"What are you doing up so early? Kids need sleep to grow tall, you know."

"Honestly, Claude, it's annoying how you act as if two years make such a difference in maturity!"

"Never said anything about maturity. Just height."

"...Anyway, I can ask the same question about what you're doing here."

The computer lab did see more morning traffic than other facilities at Garreg Mach Magnet School, but even then, the time was too early for most students.

"Oh, you know, college stuff. Finishing up some applications, because it's good to send them early and all."

Lysithea blinked, as she suddenly realized that Claude would be graduating and...going away at the end of this school year. 

"Where did you apply?"

"Lots of places, but my first choice is University of Derdriu, if I get accepted."

"Derdriu..."

That also happened to be her dream school. 

"What about you? Are you thinking about college yet? Or is it a bit early for that?"

"Of course I'm thinking about it, but..."

She sighed. 

"Tuition's expensive?"

"Yes, and my parents are always afraid of me going somewhere too far from them. They only agreed to let me come here because they managed to rent an apartment nearby and live with me."

"I see."

"But if I can get a good diploma in a field that sells well, I'll be able to get a good job and not have to worry about money again. So I'm going to make it work, somehow."

"...That's a lot of pressure for someone your age."

"What does age have to do with anything here?!"

"No, seriously. There are some things that people aren't supposed to take on too young...like financial stress or family infighting. Being a teenager is already bad enough by itself, as we all know."

She couldn't disagree with that (surprisingly mature) sentiment. 

But reality was what it was. 

\---

Some time later, Lysithea found out that wasn't the first or the last time he came to school far earlier than the others. 

She started doing the same, not because she wanted to spend time with him, but because concentrating was easier at school, and if that's how hard he worked hoping to get into University of Derdriu-- she'd have to do the same.

He was a good visual reminder to keep her motivated. 

But on the rare occasions where she dosed off while poring over textbooks, Claude's jacket was draped over her shoulders when she woke up, and that confused her so much that she couldn't concentrate for rest of the morning, no, day. 

\---

The Golden Deer had a group chat that stayed quite active even after three of its members graduated, and Claude announced that he got accepted to Derdriu around February. 

No other seniors got an acceptance letter at that point, as far as she knew, so his early application must have paid off. 

She congratulated him along with everyone else, but looking at the on going conversation made her realize something important. 

It wasn't just Claude graduating that year. 

Everyone else in the club was at least two years older than her, so from next year on, she was going to be all alone at school. 

That won't even register when I'm busy with all those AP classes and preparing for college as junior and senior, she told herself, yet the pang in her chest didn't go away so easily. 

\---

"Prom king and queen nominations? The dance is a whole month away, why do they make such a fuss about it so soon?"

"What can I say, they need this stuff to keep the bored seniors engaged. Maybe you'll understand when you're older~"

She quietly raised her math textbook in response.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, don't hit me with the textbook, that stuff's heavy."

"Hmph. Well, congratulations on getting the nomination, I suppose."

Of course he was one of the prom king candidates. Popularity contests like that never interested her, but of course he was. 

"What do you think about coming with me? As my partner?"

"Huh?"

"You know, they take photos and such with all the candidates and their dates. I'll either be by myself or be paired up with whoever if I don't bring anyone. May as well, right?"

"..."

The words took several moments to register. 

"Formalities aside, it's just a fun event in general. We all enjoyed it last year, didn't we?"

"Yes. I--"

That was different, she thought, going as a group is different from going as a pair. Which didn't necessarily mean anything, friends often went as each other's dates and all, but...

"--I can go with you. Sure."

"Great! I'll come pick you up in the evening, then."

She avoided looking at his face, but she could still hear the grin in his voice. 

\---

Her parents were more than a bit worried, as usual, but Claude assured them that she would be back right after prom ended-- no after parties or anything, where kids often got into trouble of the drugs and alcohol type. 

"There are parents who will be hosting "safe" after parties, buuut they still go on too late, and you need sleep to grow."

"Claude!" 

"Some of them even have themes like haunted houses or horror, and if it's too late at night, well,"

"I told you, I don't believe in ghosts, that's totally unscientific and--"

"Hey, I never said you did. But still, you don't really need to believe all that to be scared of it, right? Not implying you're scared of haunted houses or anything, of course!"

"Just shut up and concentrate on driving, will you?"

"Speaking of that, isn't it about time you got a driver's permit--"

"Look, I don't want to smack you while you're behind the wheel."

Thankfully, they managed to get to the venue without getting into a traffic accident. 

\---

"Jeez, it wasn't like this last year, why do I suddenly get headaches now, of all times...?"

"It happens. Be sure to rest up and--"

"I know, I know, you don't need to lecture."

She sighed. At this rate, the two of them were going to spend more time outside than the dancefloor, because the loud music made her head hurt after a little bit.

"...And there's no need to keep following me, either. Don't miss out on having fun with your friends because of this."

"Hm? I don't mind, this is plenty fun, too."

"Really."

"Yes, really. Taking a step back to observe people from afar is just as important as interacting with them up close. Besides..."

"?"

"...I wouldn't say I'm actually friends with most of my classmates."

"After spending four years together?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, they're all decent people, but maintaining the level of trust and closeness you need for friendship, with so many of them, would be exhausting and best and dangerous at worst."

"I guess I see where you're coming from. I find people tiring, too. Or maybe it's just life that's tiring."

"..."

"Either way...maybe it's because I missed out on a lot of opportunities learn social skills, but I'm not great with people. I'm a little jealous, to be honest. You're just, good at that, which is a bigger merit in real life than having a perfect 4.0 GPA."

Claude looked to be lost in thought for a moment, before giving his usual enigmatic smile.

"I wasn't always like this, either. It's one of those things that come from necessity more than anything else."

"Necessity, huh."

It was difficult to imagine him not being how he was now. But then...what could have driven someone so young to be so calculating?

"You're a smart girl, so when push comes to shove, I think you'll actually do just fine with this people stuff. So, don't worry about it, Lys. You'll be alright."

The headache must have warped her perception, because the way he said her name sounded...warm. Kind. Special. 

"...I'm going to miss you."

"Huh?"

"When you graduate. And go far away."

He seemed stunned for a moment, but before she could regret saying any of that, the music inside changed to a ballad. 

"Music's calmer now. Want to try going back in?"

She usually didn't like the slow dances, because they were overtly cheesy and romantic, but that seemed like a better option than mulling over what she just said. 

And it felt...surprisingly okay to be in such close vicinity to him, even though her heart beat too fast and her brain short-circuited again.

\---

She fell asleep in the car on the way home, and missed the chance to tell him good night. 

Doing it over the phone would be...awkward, she rationalized, so she decided to wait until she saw him at school to say thanks and all that. 

But when it came time to talk to him on Monday, she couldn't do much aside from nodding and giving one-syllable answers.

It was so ridiculous that she was baffled in real-time at her own reactions. What's more, it continued to be like that for the few short weeks of school that was left.

At least they got to sign each other's yearbooks with,

_Have fun at college. -Lysithea_

and

_All hail the new captain of the Golden Deer Quiz Bowl Club! Good luck for rest of high school, Lys, you're gonna need it :D -Claude_

\---  
\---

_Junior year, high school_

It took his graduation, a summer break, and a whole semester after that for her to finally admit it. 

She had a crush on Claude von Riegan. 

Hell if she knew how and why that happened. 

The guy didn't even have much going on for him, she tried to think. 

(Aside from the fact he's smart, good-looking, funny, a little mischievous but surprisingly nice when he wanted to be--)

Now's not the time to get distracted by boys, you need to get good grades and test scores to get into the University of Derdriu, she told herself. 

(Claude's in U of Derdriu, too, maybe they'll meet again?)

And she didn't want to go there just because of a boy, she wanted to go there to get a good education, a prestigious and widely recognized degree, and ultimately a high-paying job in a stable field that wouldn't make her family worry about medical bills ever again.

(But she wanted to see him again, too.)

And maybe she missed him a little bit, but not so much that--

_hey lys, still up studying?_

_Yes_

_Midterms are next week_

_don't overexert yourself, you're gonna stay tiny forever without enough sleep lolol_

_Seriously?_

_seriously!_

_how's quiz bowl club?_

_Cyril and Flayn and a couple of others joined_

_But I can't go to competitions as often as I used to, now that I'm busy with college prep_

_aw that's a shame_

_And yes I know I'm the captain but ACT and SAT dates don't exactly adjust themselves for quiz bowls_

_lol i know_

_good thing og golden deers still keep in touch though_

_I guess so_

\--actually, yes, she did miss him so much that her heart did acrobatics every time he sent a message and worried that he would find a girlfriend over there while she wasn't looking.

She threw her phone on her desk and put both hands over her face. 

If crushes could expire, she wanted it to happen before graduation.

\---  
\---

  
_Senior year, high school_

The seasons came and went, as did her eighteenth birthday, but becoming a legal adult didn't make her feel any different. Not yet. 

There really wasn't much to do, aside from waiting for the year to end-- and acceptance letters. 

She pondered what would happen if she didn't get into her first choice.

All the other universities I applied to are great schools, too, I shouldn't feel disappointed even if I don't get in to Derdriu, she told herself. 

University of Enbarr and Fhirdiad Institute of Technology would serve her goal of getting prestigious degrees and jobs just as well, right?

(But she knew she would feel disappointed regardless.)

Then one day, 

**[University of Derdriu] Dear Miss Lysithea...**

_Claude_

_[image attachment]_

_I got accepted_

_U of Derdriu_

_holy shit, for real???_

_are you waiting for any other colleges or_

_No I already finalized my decision_

_awesome!!_

_main campus?_

_Of course_

_i'll be seeing you this fall then!_

_welcome to derdriu deers :D_

"..."

She stared at the screen, especially that little happy emoji he sent. 

...Guess it's not expiring before graduation after all, she thought. 

But having another reason to look forward to fall wasn't so bad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [LysiClaude week twitter](https://twitter.com/LysiClaudeWeek?s=20)  
> This was sitting in my drafts for a good while, finally published it lol
> 
> Second chapter will be in college, from Claude's perspective, third chapter will be after college from alternating perspectives.
> 
> When I'll write those chapters is a complete mystery. 
> 
> Also I have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/slotumn?s=09) and I might ramble about my pairings there sometimes, but for the most part my feed looks exactly how you'd expect it to look from my avi so uh if you want to follow do it with caution


	2. College, Claude

_Freshman year, college_

The first thing he thought once the semester began was, it's back again.

Debilitating and omnipresent loneliness. Isolation even while surrounded by people.

He almost forgot how that felt in the past few years.

\---  
\---

_Sophomore year, college_

Grandpa passed away right as finals were coming up, and affairs relating to inheritance all fell on him, because Mom was still in Almyra, also fighting over family money with Dad's relatives.

There were so many fucking documents, words words words words, and sometimes he laughed when the tiny prints stopped looking like letters, because his situation was, honestly, Saturday morning soap opera bullshit.

Mom's daughter of a prominent politician family in Leicester, Dad's heir of a conglomerate in Almyra, they meet and fall in love. Mom runs off to Almyra to marry Dad and has a son, only to be forced into a divorce by Dad's meddling family. Dad grudgingly re-marries, even though he still loves Mom. Mom and Dad both fight tooth and nail to protect him and give him inheritance, causing his stepmother and half-siblings to hate his fucking guts.

He runs away to Fódlan, hoping that maybe, Mom's side of the family will like him better, and discovers that they're just as hostile. Gets sent off to Garreg Mach on his own for four years, because as they say, out of sight, out of mind. Decides he has to make something of himself, gets into U of Derdriu. Starts focusing on making connections instead of memories and building resumés instead of friendships, hoping his relatives in Almyra will have no choice but to accept him when he comes back with a shiny MBA and business opportunities they can't turn down.

Finding the Golden Deer in Garreg Mach was a silver (golden?) lining, he supposed, and he smiled every time a new message popped up in the group chat. But outside the screen, the world was still too big, and under the "flexible but confident leadership skills" he always pitched as his biggest strength, he didn't feel one bit qualified to sign all those documents.

"Get a fucking hold of yourself, Khalid," he muttered, slapping the side of his face.

It wasn't just about his desperate need to be accepted, he reminded himself-- his circumstances may have caused a lot of personal misery, but it also held the key to many unprecedented opportunities, and hell if he was going to let all that slide away.

"...Dammit."

Still, was it such a crime to want friends at his side?

His phone lit up right as he thought that, and when he looked at the screen, it said,

_Claude_

_[image attachment]_

_I got accepted_

_U of Derdriu_

\---  
\---

_Junior year, college_

"BOO!"

He was prepared for the possibility that he got the wrong person, since he remembered Lysithea as being way shorter, but that alarmed yelp was unmistakable.

"C-Claude?? What did you do that for?!"

"Long time no see, Lysithea! Good to see you've finally graduated from tip-toeing to reach the higher shelves!"

"We meet in person for the first time in two years and you make fun of my height? Honestly, Claude!"

"Hey, at least I acknowledged that you're taller now."

They bantered all the way to the nearby café he suggested over text, almost like they were back in quiz bowl club, except it was only the two of them, and...

...that didn't feel too bad, honestly.

\---

He decided to take her to the semi-formal that was always held at the beginning of the year by Derdriu Toastmasters. 

Parties and social events like that were always nice, he thought-- even if he wasn't anything more than strategic acquaintances with the people there, the cheerful atmosphere of music and people dancing helped him forget all about the loneliness and enjoy himself, if only for a couple hours.

"You don't have to dance," he assured her, remembering how prom night went because of the loud music. "There are plenty of people at the back who just want to talk and meet new faces."

For someone who said she wasn't good with people back in high school, she did surprisingly well, talking to people older than her without a hint of being intimidated. Probably because she was already accustomed to it, he realized, considering all thoss advanced classes she'd been taking since freshman year always put her with older students. 

After the last song where they danced together, he slowly walked her back to the dorm, admiring the nightlights shining on the water surrounding the city.

"How about you join this club? You seem to get along with the people here, and they all seem to like you, too," he suggested.

"Tonight was fun, but I'm not really into that kind of socialite stuff."

"Hey, there's more to it than just standing around being pretentious. I know you probably want to concentrate on academics, but participating in clubs like these and making connections can help you after you graduate."

"Huh..."

That seemed to have hit something. She did say that she wanted to get a prestigious, well-paying job to support her parents and pay medical bills, he remembered.

It was probably selfish to use that just so he could see her more often.

"We get sponsorships from places like Lear Technologies, too, and sometimes we hear about internship and employment opportunities ahead of everyone else."

Her head snapped up.

"...Alright," she cleared her throat, "I suppose I can try going to the next meeting."

"Great! I'll be looking forward to it."

The rest of the short walk was mostly in silence, but it was the calming, comfortable kind of silence that didn't make him calculate in wary anticipation of what would happen next. 

They paused in front of the glass door. 

"Hey, Lysithea?"

"Yes?"

His hand hovered for a moment before giving a firm pat on her shoulder.

"It's good to see you again."

\---

Once the semester went into full swing, it was difficult for them to see each other outside of Toastmasters-- she mostly took computer science and math courses, while he took upper level management, economics, and political science courses on the other side of the campus.

Still, they found ways to meet up once, either at a café, or the library, or the café inside the library, to study. He sometimes gave her tips on courses he'd taken before (turns out, math is important for economics) as well as college life in general, and despite her occasional complaint that he didn't need to tell her something that obvious, dammit, she still listened carefully and took most of it to heart.

"So, have you joined any other clubs yet? Made some new friends?"

"I'm in study groups for the math courses, like you suggested," she answered, scribbling in her notebook. 

"Hm..."

She glanced up at him. 

"I'm adjusting to college perfectly well, Claude. There's no need to worry."

"Oh, no, I wasn't worrying at all," he lied. "I know that you're more than capable of handling yourself. Besides, you're going to assault me with a textbook if I start acting too concerned, saying I'm treating you like a kid again, won't you?"

"I've never-- I don't get angry at people if they raise legitimate concerns, you know!"

"Aw, so I'm a special case! How flattering~"

"Please do not make me throw this expensive textbook at you."

"Oh yeah, about that, you really gotta learn how to pirate stuff."

He knew her social life, or possible lack thereof, theoretically shouldn't be any of his business. But she was both frail and independent to a fault-- those two obviously wouldn't go together well in an environment where she was living alone, away from her parents for the first time.

She needed someone to rely on, for her own sake, didn't she?

Taking a big chug of the energy drink, he ignored the little voice in his head that said, what, someone like you?

\---

"How did the midterms go?"

"..."

The wordless thousand-mile stare was all the answer he needed.

"Relax. You're not going to get the flat scores you did back in high school, but there's a reason they curve the grades."

"I already know that, Claude," she muttered, continuing to stare off.

He sighed and fluffed her hair.

"In all seriousness, I'm sure you did well-- but if you want to get through college without having a major breakdown, you can't do things as straightforwardly as you did in high school."

"You mean, dropping courses and using credit-no credit?"

"That, and taking filler bird courses to raise your GPA, getting copies of old exams that will be pretty much identical as the upcoming exams, participating in tests and surveys for extra credit, petitioning to re-grade and re-take tests...the possibilities are endless!"

"I see that you've done everything short of actual academic misconduct to get better records..."

"Sheesh, you make it sound a lot worse than it is when you put it like that," he scratched his head, "but I have. Admission to Kent Business School and an MBA aren't things that will be arriving at my doorstep like an Annazone package."

She sighed, nodded, and sipped on the mocha frappucino, her eyes still not focused on anything.

"...Enough talk about school, though. Next week's Harvest Holiday Week, so how about we go look around some fun places in the city? Watch a movie, maybe?"

\---

Contrary to assumptions people may have about him due to his flirty demeanors, Claude had never gone on a date before-- at least not a date date.

He'd hung out with Golden Deer members at the mall, and he did sometimes made out (and then stopped before it got any further) with random people at parties once he was tipsy enough, but he had never gone together to places with someone he'd make out with. 

So that was probably why he was spending so much time trying to pick out the right clothes for the...appointment that he suggested to Lysithea first. Not that he wanted to make out with her or anything, but if he didn't treat it as being at least a little bit date-ish, she'd probably get annoyed that he saw her as a child or something, right?

Right.

After spending an hour in front of the mirror, wondering about things like, whether the beard he grew to look older and be taken more seriously at internship interviews really did look stupid, he settled on wearing a black button-up over the Golden Deer t-shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the forearms. (Apparently men's forearms were the approximate sex appeal equivalent of women's breasts. He didn't really get it because he was always more of a neck and leg guy, but whatever.)

He set off wondering whether he should've offered to pick her up instead of meeting there, but when he arrived at the mall, thirty minutes early, she was looking at the sweets store next to the cinema, looking at cheesecakes and macarons.

"BOO!"

"Ah!!!"

So of course, he had to do that.

She responded by mercilessly pounding her fists on his shoulders afterwards, but it was worth it.

\---

"Which one do you want to watch?"

"Well...most of them don't look particularly interesting," she said, eyeing an animated movie title.

"Dragon Training Guide 2 it is, then."

"I-I never said I wanted to watch the one for kids!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm willing to try sitting through Generic Action Blockbuster Number Eighty-Thousand or Horror Movie Number Ninety-Million if you insist, buuut..."

The adorable black-scaled creature with green eyes stared at them from the LED poster.

"...dragons."

She didn't argue against that.

The movie was good, and afterwards, he decided to try his luck at the claw machine, against her advice, and won a stuffed white wyvern that wore a little helmet with red sashes hanging off of the sides like a beard. It was one of those plushies that was designed to be disgustingly adorable and squee-inducing, with cartoonish proportions and fuzzy fabric over the soft filling inside, and just as he expected, Lysithea couldn't stop staring at it.

"You should keep it," he said, plopping it into her arms. 

"What use would I have for it?" she asked, hugging it tighly.

"Dunno, what use would I have for it? At least you can hug it to sleep at nights--"

She menacingly raised the plushie at him, and he shielded his face in mock-fear, saying something about a scary dragon attacking him while she grew even more irritated.

After that calmed down, she asked him to name it while they waited to order warm cups of coffee at a café.

He decided on Leyla for the first name and Barbarossa for the last name (because those things were important for sentimentally-attached stuffed animals).

\---

"Ah, the Harvest Parade must be starting."

A large crowd gathered around the main canals as a procession of gondolas slowly waded through the water, a large deer figure made of straw and wheat standing proudly on it. 

On both sides of the canals, marching bands consisting brass, drums, and mandolas playing a medley of traditional Leicester tunes passed, a trail of confetti and dried leaves in bright colors following them close behind.

"Che bella cosa na jurnata ’e sole..."

Lysithea began humming along, and surprisingly enough, it was a tune that he recognized-- one mother used to him back when he was young. He joined along, letting the festive atmosphere soak through him--

"Ma n’atu sole cchiù bello, oi ne’, ’o sole mio sta nfronte a te..."

\--and when he glanced at her, hair fluttering in the slight autumn breeze with the bright blue sky and orange confetti as the background, he suddenly wondered if it was possible for a person to go insane when a moment was too perfect--

"’O sole, ’o sole mio, sta nfronte a te, sta nfronte a te..."

\--because right then, he wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her. 

\---

As winter approached, the days got shorter, both figuratively and literally.

First semester finals came and went before he knew it, and while everyone else went back home to spend time with family during Saint Cichol and Seiros Day, he sat in his apartment flat, looking up internship opportunities for summer and already feeling fatigue at the prospect of having to bullshit enthusiasm and charisma.

After letting his finger hover over Mom and Dad's contacts for a couple seconds, he closed out of it, deciding that a dumbass inheritance feud between rich bastards (he internally thought of them like that even though he was, technically, also a rich bastard) was the last thing he wanted to hear and stress about at the moment, as much as he loved his parents and vice versa.

Instead, he checked the Golden Deer group chat, which was blowing up with real-time photos of Leonie's shenanigans and Raphael's cooking, plus everyone's reactions to them (mostly Lorenz screaming in virtual horror at things the former was about to do). At one point, Ignatz suggested that they take a photo of what it looked like outside of their window, so he did, making sure to leave all the unflattering parts of his room out of the frame. 

A couple minutes later, Lysithea also sent a photo, and the first thing he noticed was the white wyvern plushie in the corner.

\---

Between winter and spring break, they were both busy and couldn't meet or text all that much. 

He didn't think anything of it, until he was at one of those apeshit spring break frat parties, feeling unusually bored, and texted her,

_hey_

_where are you right now_

_Why do you ask_

_damn_

_can't a guy check on his favorite underclassman from time to time?_

_I'm at the hospital_

_Don't worry I'm fine_

\---

"I told you, I'm perfectly fine," her voice muttered over the phone. "I'm going to be discharged before the break is over."

He sighed, pacing back and forth on the street with the noises of the party far behind.

"What in the world happened? Did you tell your parents?"

"I had a seizure in the shower a couple days ago-- someone found me and managed to call 911. It's nothing major."

The way she tried to downplay it was almost infuriating-- until it occured to him that she might have had more severe incidents in the past, hence why she'd call this "nothing major."

Which was worse, honestly.

"So, do your parents know?"

"...I don't want to make them worry."

This stubborn-ass girl, he thought.

"They'll be even more worried if you keep important things from them. You know, parents," he said, feeling a little hypocritical. "And if you insist on not telling them, then...you still have to let someone know."

"I don't want anyone to worry over me," she correct. "I'm not a child anymore, and that means I have to start taking care of myself without being a burden to others."

The obligatory, right thing to tell her would have been something like, "You're not a burden," but she didn't sound like she was in a mood to believe it at the moment.

"...Well, then, message me once you're out of the hospital and feeling better," he finally replied. "Let's go grab cookies and coffee or something, yeah?"

"Alright."

After a brief walk around the neighborhood, he went home instead of going back to the party.

\---

"So, are you going anywhere for summer?"

She shook her head, munching on flower-shaped cookies.

"I'm planning to take summer courses."

He probably should have expected it, but her obsessive diligence never failed to surprise. 

"Don't you think you need a little break after a busy year like this? You know what they say, all work and no play, something something~"

"I'm going to be fine, Claude," she gave a big, exasperated sigh. "I'm only taking two courses, and they're supposed to be fairly easy. And you?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going anywhere for vacation?"

"Nope, have internship, right here in Derdriu," he stretched his arms out, "and I have to start preparing for graduation."

"Then you should concentrate on your own plans instead of worrying over me all the time."

"Sorry, not gonna happen."

Lysithea slumped over, hiding her face behind the laptop, and muttered,

"...Frankly, I really don't understand why you spend so much effort checking in on me like this."

His mouth activated before his brain.

"Well, I can't take you on dates over the summer if you end up in the hospital, can I?"

"..."

In the several seconds of awkward silence that followed, he wondered how hard he would have to bash his head against the nearby wall to knock himself unconscious or dead.

"...I mean, I don't necessarily mean it in like, a date date," he laugh-coughed, "we can just, uh, hang out like we used to back in quiz bowl club! Except it's just two of us! Not necessarily a romantic thing-- unless you want it to be--"

"Yes."

He blinked.

"I want it to be," she enunciated, as her hands slowly closed the laptop lid, "a romantic thing."

The rest of that day, plus the days leading up to their first "proper" date, were wiped clean from his memories, except for the part where he kept grinning like an idiot while thinking of her.

\---  
\---

_Senior year, College_

_HILDA: ok_  
_HILDA: why did nobody tell me that_  
_HILDA: leader man_  
_HILDA: and_  
_HILDA: lysithea_  
_HILDA: were_  
_HILDA: DATINGGGGGGG_  
_MARIANNE: Oh this is the first I've heard of it_  
_LORENZ: Excuse me??????_  
_LEONIE: theyre WHAT_  
_RAPHAEL: thats awesome!!! :D_  
_IGNATZ: Congratulations! @Lysithea @Claude_  
_Several people are typing...._

Lysithea yelped on his couch as the notifications on both of their screens blew up.

"Looks like the cat's out of the bag!" he grinned, kissing her on the cheek.

"How-- how did she know?!"

"Well, she said she was gonna travel for a while after graduation, and--"

_HILDA: im visiting derdriu rn, went to a cute cafe around the u of d campus_  
_HILDA: i saw lysithea and claude walk in together_  
_HILDA: holding hands_  
_HILDA: [image attachment]_

"Wait-- this is from earlier today-- she's in the city right now?!"

He scratched his head. 

"Yeah, I think she wanted it to be a surprise, but Holst already messaged me to watch out for her while she was here..."

_HILDA: not only that_  
_HILDA: i followed where they went afterwards_  
_LYSITHEA: You know you aren't supposed to stalk people and take photos like that, right_  
_HILDA: THEY WENT INTO HIS APARTMENT BUILDING TOGETHER_  
_LEONIE: OHHHH SHITTTTTT_  
_LORENZ: Claude you better not be attempting anything improper in there_  
_RAPHAEL: yeah if you try weird stuff we'll mess u up real bad bro!!!_  
_LYSITHEA: Lorenz_  
_LYSITHEA: Raphael_  
_LYSITHEA: Please_  
_IGNATZ: When did you two start dating, if you don't mind us asking?_  
_LYSITHEA: Shut the fuck up_

"Can I send them some of the photos from summer?" he asked, scrolling through the gallery.

"A-as long as you don't include the ones where I dressed up as a fairy for that festival."

"Why not? You looked adorable!"

"The wings and other props were toys made for children!" she blushed. "It's embarassing!"

Chuckling, he selected some of the more atmospheric photos from each month.

"Alright, alright, only the nice aesthetic social media-worthy stuff, then."

_CLAUDE: [image attachments]_  
_CLAUDE: does this answer your questions lol_  
_MARIANNE: Aw those are really sweet_  
_IGNATZ: Yeah they are!_  
_LEONIE: ooh nice summer festivals_  
_LEONIE: the food looks really good_  
_RAPHAEL: i'll make some when all of us get together again!_  
_MARIANNE: Best of luck to you two_  
_CLAUDE: thanks marianne!_  
_CLAUDE: also lorenz_  
_CLAUDE: i don't think you're in a position to accuse others of things like that_  
_CLAUDE: considering the frantic late night texts you sent to me when you stayed over at leonie's place the other day ;)_  
_HILDA: omg WHAT_  
_LEONIE: aw fuck_  
_LORENZ: Claude,_  
_HILDA: im going into the apartment leader man, give the deets to my face asap_  
_LORENZ: I swear to the goddess,_  
_Several people are typing..._

He laughed and exited out of the chat, right as the doorbell began ringing. 

"Must be Hilda," Lysithea sighed, getting up. "Do you think we can keep her from telling everyone about random details of our relationship?"

"I think we can," he nodded, "thanks to Lorenz and Leonie."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to sell out our friends to another one of our friends in exchange for her silence?"

"Hey, it's nothing you couldn't guess from their constant and uncomfortably thick sexual tension in the group chat."

"Fair point."

Few seconds later, Hilda burst into the apartment with bags full of gifts and a big squee.

\---

Time went by so fast when he was with her, and in the blink of an eye, graduation was around the corner.

"...This again, huh," she muttered, as he tried the robe and hat on.

He chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry, I'm not going away this time, since I still have to do the--"

"--MBA, I know, I know," she paused. "...Will your parents be coming to the ceremony?"

"Ah, no, they're," he cleared his throat, "they're busy with stuff."

Of course, he did debate at least asking his mother to come, but with the inheritance issue on the verge of being sorted out once and for all, it would have been bad optics to distract her from that, he thought.

And besides...

"...Hey, Lys."

"Yes?"

"You know that upperclassmen usually don't get into dorms, right."

She sighed and nodded.

"I still applied, just in case, but I've been looking up other residences and--"

"I'm moving to a bigger place this fall, so how about you move in with me? The neighborhood's safe, it's still pretty close to the campus, and," he leaned in close, "the place comes with a really nice oven, so I can bake you cake and cookies all the time!"

Her eyes sparkled for a moment, before she coughed and steeled herself.

"We're both probably going to be too busy to do that all the time, Claude," she said, reaching for his hand. "But...if you really don't mind, there's no reason to not consider it, I suppose."

He laughed and swooped her up. 

"Great! And since you aren't taking summer courses this year, maybe we can go on a nice trip to Brigid before moving in--"

"S-slow down, I only said I was considering it!"

\---

The weather was just starting to turn hot, but thankfully, the graduation ceremony was over before lunch. 

He still wasn't friends with most of the fellow students he threw the cap with, and his parents weren't there to hug and congratulate him like most others. But honestly, he didn't care too much about all that, because--

_CLAUDE: [image attachment]_  
_CLAUDE: graduation babyyyy_  
_HILDA: congratulations claude!!!_  
_LORENZ: Congratulations!_  
_LORENZ: The really important part is from here on, but you know that already, don't you?_  
_LEONIE: aw babe dont get all lecture-y on him just cuz youre like a year older_  
_LEONIE: grats to claude, and marianne and ig too!_  
_RAPHAEL: yeah :D_  
_RAPHAEL: im real proud of everyone! drop by kirsten inn over summer break and you can eat for free_  
_IGNATZ: Thanks! I'll send you guys photos from my graduation exhibit!_  
_HILDA: honestly cant believe youre all graduating college already, high school feels like it was just yesterday_  
_MARIANNE: Time really passes by quickly, doesn't it?_  
_CLAUDE: lol but let's not lose contact just because we're all ~adults~ in the ~real world~ now, yeah?_  
_HILDA: yeah!!!_  
_LEONIE: hell yeah!!!_

"Claude! Over here!" Lysithea shouted, holding a bouquet of tulips (his favorite, as he offhandedly commented once).

A smile crept up all the way up to his eyes as he ran over.

"Congratulations, I-- hey, not in front of people!" she protested, as he picked her up and spun her around.

"Why not? I'm pretty sure this is tamer than trying to make out with you right here," he winked, "although I'd also be happy to try that, if you want!"

"For goodness' sake, Claude!" she blushed, attempting to lightly hit his shoulders with the bouquet as he chuckled.

The sky in the background was perfectly blue as he looked up at her face, and this time, he didn't have to hold back from kissing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [LysiClaude week twitter](https://twitter.com/LysiClaudeWeek?s=20)  
>   
> [My twitter](https://twitter.com/slotumn?s=09)  
>   
> Finally updated this fic after like a thousand years lol
> 
> I know I kinda skipped over all the parts of their early relationship where they, y'know, date and stuff, but this kinda turned out to be as much of a general life/coming of age type story as much as romance so I wanted to move things along.


End file.
